New Year’s Resolution: Joy

This year, my new year’s resolution will not be a goal, it will not be a diet, or even an exercise routine, but rather, my new year’s resolution will be one word. One word to focus my entire life on for this year. One word to not only be a daily thought, but a daily choice. One word to a new way of life. This year, I choose joy.

I did a short devotional provided by the Bible YouVersion app called “One Word That Will Change Your Life.” The focus of the devotional is just that. Choosing a word, not a phrase, not two words, but one word to be your focus for the entire year. We do themes like this in our churches, in our businesses, so why not our lives? I honestly have never really been into making new year’s resolutions before, but this is different to me. As Christians, we have joy. To me, joy is not just happiness, but a choice. Joy is what we have deep down in our hearts when we accept Jesus as our Savior. Joy may be defined as “a feeling of great happiness,” but I believe joy should not be based on our feelings or circumstances.

This word is for me.

Many who know me well, know that I am what people like to call “an emotional person.” Haha As much as I consider this to sometimes be a gift, it is a daily struggle. I make decisions based on my feelings. I wear my heart on my sleeve. In a world that constantly tells us to follow our heart & not our head, I am challenged to do the opposite. My husband & I have been married for over 3 years and have been together for over 7. Marriage is a blessing, yes, but it is also a challenge. A great challenge. Especially when you have two stubborn & opinionated people together, things can get messy. I love my husband, & he loves me. But our love is based on love from the Bible, love from our God. It is not a feeling, it is a choice. God loves us despite our downfalls, I love my husband despite his downfalls.

This word is for my marriage.

So why did I choose such a simple word for this year? Because I need it. I need joy. Without joy, how can I be a good witness for Christ? How can I inspire, encourage, challenge? How could I have any impact? I want to do God’s will, & I want to choose joy. My prayer is that my home will be filled with joy, that my marriage will be joyful, & that I can share my joy with others.

This word is for you.

So I ask you… will you choose joy with me? Will you share joy? And I challenge you to choose your ONE WORD for this year & tell others about it. Please comment below if you are going to do this “new year’s resolution/challenge” with me, & let me know what word you decide.